Posted:25th Apr 2005ok, ive been playing around with this idea for a month or so now, but without the time to really dedicate to nailing it.

i figured out this concept when thinking about 5 hole staff theory [who was it that posted that thread anyway?] - but rather than thinking about what 'holes' are there to be played with, what body parts can be used.

The matrix is a brilliant starting point - it used 4 out of 5 of the classical 'holes' [ie under arm, neck/shoulder, neck/shoulder other side, underarm otherside - the only 'hole' it doesnt use is between the legs, no pun intended...]. but rather than thinking about it in terms of holes, contact staff is better thought of in pivot points.

the entrance to what i call the matix [Sydney contact staff scene is bugger-all so i may have some definitions wrong] rotation staff anticlockwise is to enter with my right hand to left side of neck so it rotates around neck and you can tilt your body and use over exagerrated hand movements to flick it around under my right arm pit to the front side.

here i have used 2 pivots - 1st my neck, then 2nd my shoulder/armpit to spin the staff around.

Just before this point, if i enter into a cartwheel to my left side, the staff can spin around my back as an extra pivot to catch on my left side as i exit from the cartwheel.

Now - i have managed to do this twice out of 50 or so attempts. the first time i tried it, as soon as i was halfway though the cartwheel - all i could focus on was the staff on my back - and i forgot the second half of the cartwheel, and landed heavily on the dirt.

but it feels like most contact - very weird until you are used to the muscle memory. I think another problem is i dont yet have enough explosive athletic power to flip 87 kg of me around fast enough

i dont really have time in my life to practise too much as present, but wondered if anyone else have played around with this idea with more success?

anyway, peace, love, and hugs, to all the contact staffers out there. EDITED_BY: Dentrassi (1114393751)

Posted:20th May 2008Yea the no-hander took me a little while, then it just sorta came to me, i spent a fair while practicing 1 handed with the 1 hand as the far hand then just tried to put it down as late as possible until it worked. The main thing seems to be the force with which you kick off from your second leg and how hard you throw your head at the floor! Its 90% guts to get a clean one, oh and standing on a hill helps

Posted:5th Dec 2008Starting to land cartwheel rolls a bit more regularly now, managed 3 on tuesday trying to cartwheel on the spot seems to help as this keeps you under the spin of the staff.

So far i've only landed cartwheel rolls where im placing the staff in with my hand then doing a cartwheel, my next goal is to do it from a steve matrix and hopefully exit with one too. yay! proper ultimate rolls! May take a little more practice though.

Posted:8th Aug 2009Aileen at the Vulcan does a pretty awesome contact cartwheel, she starts with almost a mime move with the staff one her neck and both hands holding it like a clip, then cartwheels. It looks pretty cool.

Lester from Firegroove also does a cool halo cartwheel, these people need to get some damned video of these moves already!

Posted:3rd Nov 2009I don't know quite what you mean in the blog but I have mastered a one handed cartwheel with the staff spinning behind my back, it stalls and changes direction into a wrap when you exit.If this sounds like what you are talking about I would be happy to video it for you to see.I am also around 80 kg so weight is no problem with this version.

Returning to a unique state of EquilibriumLocation: Adelaide, South Australia

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Posted:3rd Nov 2009DynamiTK - thats a great vid showing some kickass object manipulators who all happen to be women. You guys at Vulcan have obviously got something special happenning in your scene - welldone!

J

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